Canker

Pronunciation: /ˈkæŋkər/

Definitions of canker

noun a source of corruption or debasement

Example Sentences

A1 She had a canker on her lip.

A2 The canker on the tree was causing it to wither.

B1 The canker in the company's finances needed to be addressed immediately.

B2 The canker of corruption had spread throughout the government.

C1 The canker of racism runs deep in society.

C2 The canker of war has plagued the region for decades.

Examples of canker in a Sentence

formal The canker on the rose bush needed to be treated with a fungicide.

informal I noticed a canker on the tree in our backyard.

slang That canker is really starting to bother me.

figurative The canker of corruption had spread throughout the organization.

Grammatical Forms of canker

• past tense: cankered
• plural: cankers
• comparative: more canker
• superlative: most canker
• present tense: cankers
• future tense: will canker
• perfect tense: have cankered
• continuous tense: is cankering
• singular: canker
• positive degree: canker
• infinitive: to canker
• gerund: cankering
• participle: cankering

Origin and Evolution of canker

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'canker' originated from Middle English 'anker' which came from Old English 'ancor' meaning 'inflammation'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'canker' evolved to also refer to a destructive disease in plants, particularly in fruit trees, and later came to be used metaphorically to describe something that causes gradual harm or decay.